Keep On Keepin' On

Happy Spring!

2010-05-09T15:31:00.000-07:00

Fried Apple Pies

2009-10-18T08:14:00.001-07:00

Recently I got some Cortland apples from an orchard in Pennsylvania. I remembered that my mother and grandmother used to dry slices of apples and later make fried pies with them. I dried most of the apples and yesterday decided it was a great day to make fried pies. I topped them with hard sauce and they turned out great. The pastry was really flaky and the filling was just the right tartness so that the hard sauce was a perfect match. Below are a few images.

Chihuly Illuminated

2009-10-10T07:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to Chihuly Illuminated at the Columbus Museum of Art. It's a great show and I would recommend it to everyone. Above are a few of the pictures we took. Actually, I think Mary Ann took all of the pictures except for one.

It Will Never End

2009-10-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I saw three doctors and am scheduled for another surgery. One of my vocal cords was paralyzed during surgery. The tumor was wrapped around the Vegus nerve. When they were removing the tumor this nerve was damaged. It paralyzed my vocal cord and has caused me to have quite a bit of trouble swallowing. I am going to get some swallowing therapy and go ahead with a "Vocal Cord Medialization Laryngoplasty." I will have an implant beside my paralyzed vocal cord that will push it to the middle of my voice box to reach the working vocal cord. It is outpatient surgery and I should only be out of work for about 3 days. I should have immediate results and am looking forward to speaking better. So you see...this will never end. I guess this is why some people never go to the doctor. Once it starts you just can't stop.

Keeping Busy

2009-10-01T05:34:00.001-07:00

I still haven't gone back to work and I might not go back for a little while. I have a pretty bad cough that has developed due to my paralyzed vocal chord and it is hard to speak. Since I am on the phone for 90% of my job, I think it would be hard to work. I hope that there is something else there I can do because I am getting bored. This morning I woke up and baked an apple pie. Yesterday I dried some apple chips. They are great to reconstitute and make fried pies with. Those will make a great winter time treat. I wonder what I will make tomorrow.

Tonight I have to have another MRI. I hate those things. This time however, my doctor has given my a valium to take before I go. I really hope it makes the time easier to deal with. I never thought I was claustrophobic until I had my first MRI.

Recovery and Laughter

2009-09-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

I am recovering well from my surgery with a couple of speed bumps that are frustrating. After the surgery one of my vocal chords was paralyzed and I also have trouble swallowing. My voice is getting a little better, but it is a very slow process. The swallowing issue is hard for me to deal with. I love to eat and now I have to be very careful with what I consume. One thing that I've found easy to eat is pie. I've included a picture of a butterscotch pie I made the other night. I had a big craving and had to make it happen.

One thing that has helped in my recovery is Mary Ann. If it weren't for her I don't know what I would have done. I don't know how I will ever be able to repay her or let her know how much her presence has meant to me. I am sure the pictures I want to include probably aren't the right way to show this, but they are great pictures.

The Scar

2009-09-07T14:42:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture of my scar 5 days after the operation. They got a lot of the tumor out but it was intwined in a lot of nerves so they couldn't get it all. It looks as if I will have some more decisions down the road. Right now I am just enjoying being at home and sleeping A LOT!!!
Thanks for everyones cards and support!

13 days

2009-08-19T02:50:00.000-07:00

It's only 13 more days until the big day. I can't believe how much I am looking forward to getting this over with. For the longest time this tumor has seemed surreal, but the closer I get to the date of surgery, the more real it is getting. I hope I don't have a major breakdown/reality check the morning of.
I've noticed that I haven't been able to sit around and do nothing like I used to. I used to be satisfied to sit around and watch TV in the evenings, even if there wasn't anything worth watching. Now I have the need to fill these evenings with worthwhile projects or running errands. Monday night Mary Ann and I picked out a new recliner and last night I built another dresser that we got at Ikea. I still have cakes to bake for my parents 50th wedding anniversary party. Hopefully I will be in the mood to do that soon.

My Brain

2009-08-05T15:31:00.000-07:00

The last few months have been interesting to say the least. I haven't been able to ride as much as I've wanted to because of a distraction. After hearing tests, a CT, an MRI and consultations with a surgeon, I've been diagnosed with a meningioma brain tumor. It is a benign tumor and my surgery to get it removed is Sept. 1. Even though there are quite a bit of unpleasant scenarios that can happen if all doesn't go well during the surgery, I feel very positive that it will be a success. I have a lot of confidence in my surgeon and am very lucky that I live so close to The Ohio State Medical Center. I also feel fortunate that my symptoms aren't as extreme as so many others with this diagnosis. I noticed a loss of hearing in one ear and after testing they found the tumor. I also have some dizziness and blurred vision when reading smaller print.

So it looks like I will have a lot of time in Sept. for blog entries. The surgeon says I will need to stay home from work 4-5 weeks. I already have books on cd reserved at the library. I guess I can also catch up on some bad afternoon tv.

My family and friends have been very supportive and I love and appreciate them dearly. I'm including a picture from the MRI. This shot is taken from the perspective of looking up from my chin. I've tried to draw around the tumor. When I see the surgeon next I hope to remember to ask him if I can have a picture of the tumor.

Helmet

2009-07-15T03:04:00.000-07:00

I was able to get a new helmet and jacket yesterday. I've been wanting to find a cool orange helmet and found this on closeout at http://www.ironpony.com/. The store is so large it can be intimidating and quite overwhelming. It is in an old super Kmart and if you are ever in Columbus you should check it out. They've also recently become a Yamaha dealer and have some new Vino's that are beautiful. I was also able to get a new summer jacket. I've been lax in my use of armor because the jacket I have is winter weight. This is a Tourmaster and is mesh with some nice "padding." I wish the DOT sticker wasn't crooked.

Lilyfest

2009-07-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

It is my favorite time of year. It's time for Lilyfest. It is a wonderful festival in the Hocking Hills. There are a ton a great artists and beautiful gardens.

New Mexico Peppers

2009-07-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

In an earlier post I mentioned my love of the green chile sauce I had while in New Mexico. It is my goal to recreate the sauce. This weekend it was time to harvest and roast some of my crop. I've frozen what I have until there is enough to make a recipe.

Garden

2009-06-29T17:34:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's almost July and I haven't been posting anything on my blog. I've been growing a garden which is a lot of fun to watch. I'm always excited about my raspberries and made my first batch of jam this weekend. But I am also very excited about my peppers. They are a variety that is from New Mexico. These are inspired from our trip to New Mexico. I hope to be able to make a big batch of green chile sauce comparable to the sauce I had at http://www.pasquals.com/. It was incredible.

New Scanner

2009-05-31T17:32:00.000-07:00

We just got a new computer with a scanner,printer, copier. I've never had a scanner at home and thought it would be fun to test it out on my blog. This is a picture taken of Wyatt when he was around 10 weeks old.

NEVER Ride A Scooter To The Doctor...

2009-05-20T03:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to a follow up ear doctor appointment. It was such a beautiful day that I had to ride the scooter. The office was also on a road I hadn't been on yet so I thought it would be a great way to check it out. I thought that all I was going to have done is another hearing check. Well...the doctor decided he wanted to put a tube in my ear. I explained to him that I rode my scooter and asked if this would impede my riding. He said I may feel a bit light headed, but I could just hang out there until it went away. Not only did I feel light headed, but if I weren't lying down, I would have fainted. It really affected me a lot and I had to stick around for awhile until I felt better. All I could think about is how the heck am I going to get the scooter home if I don't recover. I felt much better after some water and getting out of that room. Moral of the story is...don't ride your scooter to the doctor. You never know what might be in store.

Blue Savannah for sale

2009-05-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

I really hate to do it, but I am need to sell my Vino. She should be ridden instead of sitting in my garage.
http://epsp.us/viewtopic.php?t=1655

New Mexico

2009-04-25T03:40:00.000-07:00

Last week I spent the week with some dear friends at their home in New Mexico. I'd never been there before and was surprised by the dramatic scenery. It is such a beautiful and spiritual place. Here is a link to a Flickr slide show http://www.flickr.com/photos/37561591@N04/.

Enjoy!

The Lady Vols will be back...

2009-03-26T04:55:00.000-07:00

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=7&f=1373&t=4136848

New Camcorder

2009-03-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I last blogged, but spring is almost here and I am getting excited about future scooter rides. I've been good about getting the scooters out and letting them run for awhile. I am still amazed that the Vino starts right up. I think I have decided to sell her. She is just sitting in the garage looking pretty and needs to be ridden.
I just bought a new Flip Mino camcorder. I am very excited about starting a video diary. I hope to figure out how to post videos here soon.

R.I.P. Kay Yow

2009-01-24T15:56:00.000-08:00

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/columns/story?columnist=voepel_mechelle&id=3853652

I wish I could go on a scooter ride.

2009-01-22T17:38:00.001-08:00

Saturday ride

2008-12-28T04:23:00.000-08:00

All week I've been watching the weather forecast hoping that there would be some decent riding weather. The forecast for yesterday said that it was going to be in the mid sixties, but with a wind advisory. Wind is the scariest obstacle I've run into on my scooter, but I was hoping that the morning would be tame so I could go for a ride. About 8:00 I got Dixie out and let her run for a little bit and headed off. I rode for a little over an hour and felt the wind start to kick in. I headed home after a ride into the city and then back out to the burbs. Along the way I stopped at an Indian burial ground that I noticed earlier in the year. I'm not sure if this is in the city limits of Columbus. If it isn't, it is probably a mile or two from it. The amusing part to me is that it is named after the family that deeded the land to the Ohio Historical Society. It doesn't seem right. I am including a couple of pictures at the sight and also a picture of Wyatt and Maple as they spotted a squirrel outside the front window. Of course I reprimanded Wyatt for standing on the couch, but I'm not sure that it did any good.

R.I.P. Gary

2008-12-14T15:29:00.000-08:00

Gary Didier was the founding member of the Easy Peasey Scooter Posse. He died last week of a heart attack at age 50. I never met Gary, but we conversed on the EPSP message board. I was surprised by how sad I was of his passing and thought about it a lot. He seemed like such a cool and caring man. I discovered that I wasn't sad because I would miss him. I was sad because I never got a chance to meet him. The EPSP family is mourning and this past Saturday had a ride to his memorial service. You can see photos and read great stories about a great man at http://epsp.us/viewforum.php?f=1&sid=87bfd67cf6854bf39a9997987049cef3.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T03:49:00.000-08:00

I'm always a little disappointed on Thankgiving when I have to attend two Thanksgiving celebrations on the same day. I feel pressure to eat my share at both houses, but don't get to enjoy the feasts nearly as much as I would like. I am either holding back because I need to save room for the next house, or am too full at the second house to enjoy it. This year my solution is to celebrate with Mary Ann's family on Thursday and have my family over on Friday. So I woke up at 6:00 this morning and put the turkey, "Jerry", in the oven. The picture is Wyatt and Maple doing their best to keep their distance. They know that soon they will be kicked out of the kitchen. I am going to try to take pictures all day so I can share more. It is also supposed to get up to 43 degrees today so I may try to squeeze in a scooter ride.

Go Lady Vols!

2008-11-15T08:10:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of the regular season for the Lady Vols. Unfortunately I have prior commitments today so I am not able able to make the trip to Knoxville. Today the Lady Vols will raise their 8th National Championship banner before the game. They welcome back two former players that are coaching The University of San Francisco, Tonya Haave, head coach, and Abby Conklin, assistant coach. They both won national championships with Tennessee. Since the start of the NCAA tournament every Lady Vol has played in at least one final four. The Lady Vols will go down in history as one of the greatest programs in SPORTS history. This year they will hopefully bring Coach Summitt to the great feat of reaching 1000 wins. She needs 17 more wins. Hopefully her young team will be able to make that happen soon. This year they only have one senior, no juniors, three sophomores and a ton of freshmen. It's going to be a very entertaining year. I really believe they are going to sneak up on a lot of people.

The picture is one of Smoky at the first round tournament game at West Lafayette, IN last year. I also have a picture of the Irish Leprechaun, but decided not to post. He frightens me quite a bit.

VOTE

2008-11-04T01:56:00.000-08:00

I am up a little early so I can try to vote before work. Four years ago I waited 2 1/2 hours. Since 32% of Franklin County voted early, and I live close to the early voting location, I'm hoping it won't be a very long line. We will see. I am including a picture of some family in front of a banner that my sister-in-laws brother made. It's very impressive. He has an entire album of pictures with quite a diverse group of people getting their pictures taken in front of it. I pray that what ever happens today that it is the best for our country, our children, and the world.

Scooter Tag

2008-10-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

The Easy Peasey Scooter Posse has a game of scooter tag in progress. What you do is take a picture of your scooter in front of something and post it. Then you have to find the spot they took their picture and take a picture of your scooter in front of it. Then the person who found the tag posts a new one. Today I finally got one. I have been trying for weeks to get one. This is the picture I posted. I don't know what I did with this picture, but it looks really cool. The sun was doing some crazy things.

Actually, I think the purpose of this post was just to show off Dixie again.

Getting ready for Halloween

2008-10-22T17:12:00.000-07:00

Last year Wyatt and Maple chose to dress up as Wyatt Earp and a ballerina for Halloween. This year when I asked them about it they didn't know what to do. They asked me to solicit ideas from my friends. If you have any good ones please let me know and I will pass them along.

2008-10-19T05:12:00.000-07:00

Got Dixie back with the new windshield. When I brought her out to take a picture my Vino, Blue Savannah insisted on being photographed also. I need to get her out on the road soon. She is so cute and so much fun to ride that I don't think I will ever be able to part with her. I spoke to the owner of the scooter shop about the Kymco. He liked how I placed my rear view mirrors,(more vertical than horizontal), so I asked him about them. He said that he spoke to Kymco about extending the mirrors a couple of inches. Kymco said that in Taiwan they have to park in very tight spaces. If the mirrors were extended they wouldn't be able to. He said he suggested telescoping shafts. I think that sounds like a great idea. I added a small round blind spot mirror to my left mirror and am very happy with it. The temperature was 37 degrees when I woke up this morning. I am going to wait a couple of hours and then go for a ride. It looks like it is going to be a beautiful day,

Wyatt also wanted to get in on the action. He is thinking that I need to add a sidecar.

Dixie's first service

2008-10-15T03:39:00.000-07:00

I dropped Dixie off at the shop yesterday for her first service. I am anxious to see if there is any difference in her after the service. They are also going to add a windshield. I struggled with the decision of whether to get one or not. I'm not really into adding a lot of mods to the scooter. She is beautiful just the way she is. But I really want to be able to ride her as much as possible year round and thought the windshield may help. I have a friend who rides a sports bike and he highly recommended it. The shop that I bought her from also said they would install anything at no charge up until the first service. When I get her back I will post a picture. It is supposed to be rainy the next couple of days so I don't know that I will get her back for a couple of days.
I miss her already.

Vacation

2008-10-10T20:40:00.001-07:00

Just got back from vacation last night. We went to Wilmington, NC for a few days of rest and relaxation. The weather was terrific. We discovered Kure Beach the 2nd day there, and went back for another visit. As you can see in the picture, we almost had the beach to ourselves. I saw so many scooters. I really wished I were able to bring Dixie. Today I drove 95 KM and had a great time. It is surprising to me how much more comfortable I feel on it the more I drive it. I went to Zoot Scoots and bought a windshield. When I take it in for its first tune up they are going to install it at no charge. Hopefully the windshield will make it a little more comfortable to ride in the winter months.

First Fill Up

2008-09-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

I filled up Dixie for the first time this week. I got 75 mpg. From what I understand this should only improve after its first tune up. This is all city driving with quite a bit of stopping and starting. I went for my longest ride this morning. I travelled 40 miles and at one point was able to get Dixie up to 55 mph with no effort. I think the throttle was only half open. It was a great morning for a ride. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to take her out again. I bought two convex mirrors to put on my mirrors. I put one on the left mirror and it worked great...until I hit a pothole and it fell off. I bought a pair so I am going to put the remaining one on and try to get it to stick.

The Vols play Auburn today...pray for me.

I love the Vols!

2008-09-23T17:21:00.000-07:00

I love the Tennessee Vols!. I wish they weren't so bad this year. They aren't even fun to watch. I don't mind them losing as much if they would just entertain me. Basketball season begins soon. I love the Lady Vols. The men are fun to watch as well. This year should be a challenging one for the women. We only have one senior and no returning starters. It's going to be fun!

Independents Day

2008-09-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

We spent yesterday at a new art/music festival downtown. We had a great day. The weather was perfect and Mary Ann made a big sale. Pictured is Mary Ann holding our friend Georgia.

New member of the family...

2008-09-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

Meet Dixie. Isn't she beautiful? She is a 2009 Kymco People 150. I have been looking for a scooter a little bigger than the Vino. When I saw a picture of this one I just knew she was for me. I rode her to work today and she was quite the star. She is so much faster than I am used to. I must remember to not open the throttle all of the way upon take off. I swear the first time I accelerated I thought I might pop a wheelie. I hope to be able to take some cool rides soon. It is going to get cool soon so I don't know how much time I have. I would love to post pictures from scooter rides on my blog.

Everybody is home!

2008-09-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

Dad is home and getting better. I am home and beat. Work is the last place I want to be tomorrow. Oh well. Hopefully I can speak to the owner of Zootscoots and see if he knows when the new scooter will be arriving.

Sunday afternoon.

2008-09-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

Dad is looking good. The doctor came in this morning to take the packing out of his nose. Mary Ann and I thought it would be a great time to try out the Starbucks coffee in the cafeteria. He said at 4:00am a nurse came in a took vitals and asked if he needed anything. He decided he wanted some crackers and orange juice. As he was eating his snack he had a morphine infused mirage of eating a 6 course meal containing the following:

1st course- An appetizer of 3 fried mushrooms and 3 coconut shrimp.

2nd course- Seafood bisque with lobster, shrimp, crab, and scallops.

3rd course- A wedge of iceberg lettuce with creamy blue cheese dressing.

4th course- Warm homemade whole wheat parker house rolls.

5th course- The best veal marsala he had ever had.

6th course- Mom's butterscotch pie.

And of course all of this was washed down with sweet tea.

So he had a pretty good night. He still has headaches. I will be curious to see if his headaches decrease after the packing is gone. I am getting ready to go back up to the room. The picture I am including is a camper we saw at the gas station this morning. I think it is beautiful.

Sunday Morning.

2008-09-07T04:35:00.000-07:00

It's early Sunday morning and I feel much better. Dad looked good when we left last night. He hadn't had any morphine since early Sat. morning. His headaches had gone from a 6 or 7 on the pain scale to a 2 or 3. We talked a little about The Lady Vols and he got a little excited. Uncle Jim left yesterday. He looked great. It was nice to see him again. I will write more later. I should have plenty of time at the hospital. I have a feeling that Dad will have some visitors today. Thanks for the nice emails I received from friends. I appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you for laptops and wifi!

2008-09-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last blogged. I am currently in a hospital in Cookeville, Tennessee. Dad had surgery for a tumor on his pituitary gland. I guess it's been there for about 10 years. It really has affected the human growth hormones. His shoes are a size 9 1/2 EEEEE, he's outgrown his wedding ring twice, his jaw has grown, and his tongue is larger. The surgery was pretty hard on him. I wasn't here the day of the surgery and the day after, but Richard and Mom said he didn't look that great. He has been in an enormous amount of pain and has been given Morphine to ease it. When I came in the room today he looked good and I could tell I was grinning ear to ear. His tears showed that he was as happy to see me as I was to see him. So today, Mary Ann, Mom and myself are sitting in a waiting room while my Uncle Jim is hanging out with Dad. When Mom and Mary Ann went to deliver some chocolate to the ICU nurses Dad told me that I was more than welcome to talk, but he just didn't feel like talking.

Dad is supposed to come home on Monday and Mary Ann and I are planning to leave on Tuesday. Mom is doing better. I think the first day was very stressful. I am glad that Richard was here to lean on. We actually saw Richard on the drive down yesterday. We were on I75 S, almost to the Tennessee border. Richard was headed back north. I can't believe that we both happened to see one another and wave.

I better hand the computer over to Mary Ann. I am so happy she came with me. I feel infinitely fortunate to have her in my life :)

Sunday...yawn.

2008-08-17T16:05:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a day where you did absolutely nothing? I think today may have been one of those if I hadn't taken a shower(at 4:00pm) and cooked dinner. The highlight of the meal was a peach and raspberry crisp. I topped it with some homemade vanilla ice cream. It was darn good. I think the dogs and I actually bonded today over lack of productivity. I asked Wyatt if he could demonstrate to all of the readers of my blog what we did. I think he did a great job!

Scooter Ride

2008-08-16T17:47:00.000-07:00

I went on a scooter ride today to a potluck in the Victorian Village. I am a member of http://www.cappride.org/ and we had our fall concert kickoff party this afternoon. It was great seeing everyone and I will fill all of you in on the concert as soon as I have more details. The ride was great. It was perfect weather and the scooter (Blue Savannah), ran as fast as she ever has. I got her up to 39mph down Broad St. I own a 2004 Yamaha Vino. It is a 50cc two stroke.

Alpha

2008-08-16T17:18:00.000-07:00

This is my first post on my first blog. I have been encouraged to create a blog, but keep insisting that I really don't think I have anything to blog about. I guess we will see. Hopefully I can make this site a fulfilling experience for me and you.